Bruce Lee Podcast

#60 Choiceless Awareness

Choiceless Awareness is a path to peace of mind. It means having
awareness in the moment as things are unfolding but not making a
choice or judgment one way or the other about whether it’s good or
bad. Bruce talks about how, “There is an awareness without choice,
without demand, an awareness in which there is no anxiety and in
that state of mind there is perception and it's perception alone
that will resolve our problems.” Choiceless Awareness is about
being the objective observer, standing back from the situation a
little bit and not assign any blame one way or the other. Just say,
“Here’s what’s happening, I’m perceiving what’s happening, now what
am I going to do?” This not easy because you have to battle the
“shoulds”--what you think should or shouldn’t be happening in the
situation. Remember, Bruce Lee used “No way as way.” “Just watch
choicelessly, and in the watching lies the wonder. It is not an
ideal end to be desired, but watching is a state of being already
and not a state of becoming.” If in this moment you can achieve
this state of choiceless awareness, you can achieve wholeness
because you’re just being. “Choiceless Awareness. Do not condemn,
do not justify. Awareness works only if it is allowed free play
without interference.” Awareness leads to discovery. Discovery
leads to uncovering your potential. Bruce Lee often relates this
idea of Choiceless Awareness to being in tune with “what is.”
“There is what is, only when there is no comparison at all. And to
live with what is, is to be peaceful.” “Awareness is never
exclusive. It includes everything.” The easiest way to explain this
state is as “free play.” Free play without judgment, like when you
were a kid playing and pursuing what interested you. The technology
we have now, such as smart phones, can bring us out of the moment.
“I Bruce Lee am going to die some day with out having fulfilled all
my ambitions. However, I am not afraid to die. I go on, I move
forward. Because everything I’ve done, I’ve done sincerely, and
wholeheartedly and to the best of my ability. What more can you ask
for than that?” Take Action: Practice being the objective observer,
try to remove your judgment from the present moment, and just let
things be as they are. Take in everything. Create time for a place
of "free play”—free of expectations and outcomes. Do something with
your body to enter into the space of free play, such as running
around like a kid or sing a fun song. This will help you remember
what free play felt like. #AAHA This week our #AAHA is hapa
Michelle Waterson who is half Thai. Michelle is an American Mixed
Martial Artist and competes in the UFC. MMA is the fastest growing
professional sport. Michelle is ranked #6 in the UFC strawweight
division. Raised in Colorado, Michelle studied karate from the age
of 10 and holds a black belt in the American Free Style Karate, and
also trained in WuShu, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, and
wrestling. She started out as a ring girl, and she trained really
hard and made her MMA debut in 2007. She made her debut without
having any amateur fights. Michelle you’re a badass, and we think
you’re awesome! #BruceLeeMoment Our moment this week comes from
Robby M. who shared with us this poem and his #BruceLeeMoment:
Everything I know how to do, I learned first and foremost from
Bruce Lee, I copied everything he did to the point where I got
obsessed and erroneously thought myself to be his Reincarnation.
Doing that, I realized I missed His central tenet of Life, Be
Yourself! Express Yourself as creatively, profoundly, powerfully,
dynamically, skillfully, and Honestly as humanly possible at all
times no matter what the cost or situation.” Share your #AAHAs,
#BruceLeeMoments, and #TakeAction progress with us at
hello@brucelee.com Find the full version of our show notes at
BruceLee.com/podcast

About the Podcast

Join Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee and cultural anthropologist Sharon Ann Lee for a conversation about the life and philosophy of Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee was a famous martial artist, movie star and cultural icon--but his philosophy has caught fire around the world inspiring millions searching for meaning and consciousness. Each episode will dig deep into Bruce’s philosophy to provide guidance and action on cultivating your truest self.
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.”